When home-repair projects fall beyond a homeowner’s knowledge or expertise, he or she might want to consider a handyman.

Bringing in a handyman can knock some projects off your never-ending
to-do list – those projects that have sat on your list for months (or
years) without being tackled, that you would tackle if only you had the
time. A handyman has that time and can take on those tasks, at normally a
lower rate than a specialist in that area.

Whether it is a painting or electrical project, fixing items around the
house or simply replacing smoke detectors, a handyman can get work done
for you and normally with a pretty quick turnaround. Handymen are
individuals well-versed in a variety of home-improvement areas. These
experienced craftsmen provide a variety of services for homeowners
looking to get work done on their residence.

Most handymen have a policy of no project too big or too small for them
to tackle – whether it be reconstructing an entire room or fixing a
leaky faucet. Many handymen have a specialty that is their forte. Check
with handymen in your area to find out what their specialty is and
whether they have experience handling a project like you need done. Many
handymen have a list of their work and testimonials posted on their
websites. If they don’t have a website, they should be able to provide
you with references on recent projects they have done. Check those
references to see if the residences are still happy with the job that
the handyman did.

Check with references regarding the handyman’s estimates of cost and
duration of the project. If you are hiring someone for a two-day project
three days before you are having people over for a birthday party, you
need assurances that workers are not going to be finishing up a job as
your guests are showing up. You want to make sure that the individual or
firm can handle your job in the time frame you need. If they are spread
too thin doing commercial as well as residential projects, your project
may take a back seat to the commercial job he has.

You also want some assurances that your costs are not going to rise
because the handyman miscalculated his estimate. Get at least three
estimates from handymen for a project. You don’t have to go with the
lowest bidder, especially if you don’t have confidence in or a good
feeling about him, but you want to make sure that the individual you
choose for the work is in the ballpark of other individuals price-wise
and that he is not unfairly billing you.

Another good way to locate a handyman is to check with friends and
neighbors to see if they know and trust anyone to do the kind of work
you are looking to have done.

Checking online reviews and testimonials from sites such as Angie’s
List, is another way to ensure you are getting someone with a proven
track record of getting jobs done and someone with satisfied customers.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

An Austin
handyman is versatile enough to repair most things that go
wrong with your house. To learn more please visit: http://www.angieslist.com/.